Consultative Meeting on Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Factory Workers

Commonwealth of Learning’s regional centre, the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), and Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) organised a consultative meeting on ‘Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Factory Workers’ on 27 February 2024 in New Delhi, India. The objective of this meeting was to delve into both the detrimental and beneficial impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on small, mini, and micro-enterprises, as well as other workers in the informal sector. It would help in determining a course of action that CEMCA and its stakeholders might consider to undertake. The meeting was attended by over twenty AI experts, educators, development professionals, and specialists.

Dr B. Shadrach, Director, CEMCA, extended a warm welcome to the participants, and set the stage for the meeting by contextualising the discussion. He referred to the Global Risk Report 2024 and OECD Employment Outlook 2023, highlighting the challenges posed to labour and employment markets by the emergence of AI and other future technologies. These reports underscored the urgent need for the upskilling and reskilling of workers, particularly those in the informal sector, in AI and frontier technologies that are changing the nature of their work.

The meeting, moderated by Prof. Shuchi Sinha from Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, primarily centred on delineating the scope of intervention and defining the target demographic. Discussions also revolved around devising an effective approach to AI curriculum development and delivery, as well as the integration of relevant case studies and outreach strategies. Additionally, considerations were made regarding the formation of an advisory group to oversee and guide the project's progression. Participants actively engaged in deliberations and offered valuable suggestions. Furthermore, they were invited to join the Advisory Group, tasked with monitoring and steering the project's advancement. The meeting concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Ms. Maya Sherman, Co-lead of the project.